Three arrested for smuggling red sand boa through Erode

Erode (TN), Dec 15: Three persons have been arrested for allegedly smuggling a red sand boa snake, a species protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, into the district from Karnataka, police said today.
The car in which the trio came, was intercepted by the Erode district prohibition enforcement wing police, during a vehicle check carried out at Padaraipallam area on ghat road last evening.
When the team searched the vehicle, they found a small gunny bag containing a sand boa in it, they said.
The officials then seized the reptile and interrogated the three inmates of the car from Karnataka, who confessed to having smuggled the snake into Sathyamangalam to be sold for a premium price.